This week was packed with exciting soccer action as the UEFA Europa Conference League held its second qualifying round. In total, 50 matches were played across Tuesday and Thursday, with teams from all over Europe fighting for a spot in the next round.
Let’s take a look at what happened in the world of soccer—and how some teams made history while others faced disappointment.
What Is the UEFA Europa Conference League?
Before diving into the games, let’s explain a little bit. The UEFA Europa Conference League is the third most important European soccer tournament, after the Champions League and Europa League. It gives smaller clubs from all over Europe the chance to compete internationally.
Each year, hundreds of clubs play in qualifying rounds, hoping to reach the group stage. Only the strongest teams make it that far, so every game counts!
Tuesday’s Early Drama: Levadia Tallinn Make History
Only three games were played on Tuesday, but one of them had plenty of drama.
In Georgia, Estonian team FCI Levadia Tallinn played against Iberia 1999. After a 2-2 tie on total goals (called “aggregate”), the match went into extra time—which happens when both teams are tied after two legs (home and away games).
With just six minutes left, Robert Kirss, who came off the bench as a substitute, scored a clutch goal to make it 3-2 for Levadia. That goal was special—it sent Levadia into the next round for the first time since 2009!
🧠 Soccer Fact: A substitute is a player who starts the match on the bench and comes in later. They often bring fresh energy!
Thursday’s Action-Packed Games: Linfield Win, Zalgiris Go Out
Thursday was the busiest day, with 47 matches played! One of the highlights was in Northern Ireland, where Linfield beat Zalgiris from Lithuania 2-0. That was also the final score on aggregate.
Matthew Fitzpatrick scored in just the 10th minute to give Linfield a strong start. Later, Kieran Offord made it 2-0 before halftime. Even though Linfield missed a penalty, they were too strong for Zalgiris, who didn’t even have a single shot on target.
This was bad news for Zalgiris. They’ve made it far in the Conference League before, even reaching the playoff round (one step before the group stage) in all three previous seasons. But for the second year in a row, they got knocked out in this round.
Soccer Fact: A team’s total score from both games in a round is called the aggregate score.
Comebacks from Big Teams: AZ Alkmaar and Sparta Praha
Two of the best-known clubs in the round were AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands) and Sparta Praha (Czech Republic). Both teams lost their first leg games but made amazing comebacks.
AZ Alkmaar crushed Ilves from Finland 5-0, making the total score 8-4. Sparta Praha had a tougher start but came alive in the second half to beat Aktobe (Kazakhstan) 4-0, winning 5-2 overall.
Craziest Match: Viking vs Koper
If you love goals, this one was wild!
In the first leg, Viking from Norway beat Koper (Slovenia) 7-0. That’s already a huge score. But in the second game, Koper played with pride, leading three times. Even though they lost the second leg 5-3, they earned respect for their effort.
Sander Svensson scored three goals (a hat-trick) for Viking. That helped the Norwegian team win the total series 12-3!
Soccer Fact: Scoring three goals in one game is called a hat-trick—it’s a big deal!
Penalty Shootouts: Arda and Larne Keep Cool
Several matches went to penalty shootouts, which happen when teams are tied even after extra time.
Arda, a team from Bulgaria, had never scored in a European competition before. But they managed to score twice against HJK Helsinki from Finland. After a 2-2 draw, the game went to penalties. Arda won the shootout 4-2, thanks to some clutch kicks!
Larne from Northern Ireland also needed penalties to get past Prishtina from Kosovo. After drawing 1-1 in both legs, they held their nerve in the shootout and won 5-4. Fun fact—Larne also won their first-round match on penalties!
Soccer Fact: In a penalty shootout, each team usually takes 5 kicks. The team with more goals after that wins.
Extra Time Thrillers: Hammarby and Aris Fall Short
Seven matches were decided in extra time, which is two extra 15-minute halves after regular time ends in a tie.
In Belgium, Swedish team Hammarby faced Sporting Charleroi. The game was heading for penalties, but Victor Eriksson scored in the 120th minute (right at the end!) from a free kick. That gave Hammarby a 2-1 win and a spot in the next round.
The biggest surprise came in Greece, where Aris Thessaloniki couldn’t recover from losing the first leg against Araz (Azerbaijan). Aris went down 2-0 in the first half, then fought back to tie 2-2. But it wasn’t enough—they lost 4-3 on aggregate and were eliminated.
Other Notable Moments
KI Klaksvik, from the Faroe Islands, scored a 1-0 win over Radnicki 1923 thanks to Páll Klettskard’s first-half goal.
The winners from this round move on to the third qualifying round, where the competition gets even tougher.
They’ll be joined by Vikingur Gota, Virtus, and eight teams that just lost in the UEFA Europa Conference League’s second qualifying round. Most of the next matches will be played over the next two Thursdays.
Soccer Fact: Many small clubs love the UEFA Europa Conference League because it gives them a chance to play on a big European stage and grow their fanbase.
What’s Next?
With the third qualifying round just around the corner, teams will be working hard to keep their European dreams alive. It’s not just about trophies—it’s about pride, passion, and making history.
We’ll keep watching to see who can reach the group stage of this exciting tournament. Whether it’s underdogs like Linfield or giants like AZ Alkmaar, anything can happen in the UEFA Europa Conference League.
